Wesleyan PreCollege Residential Scholars are immersed in campus life for five weeks, discovering for themselves firsthand whether the small college liberal arts experience is for them.

Curriculum

PreCollege students study side-by-side with undergraduates from Wesleyan and other institutions. The required writing course component prepares precollege students for the enormous challenge of writing about the self – a skill that will enhance their college essays and applications. Students may elect to take two writing courses, or they may take one of these courses in addition to one of the other courses offered through Wesleyan Summer Session. All courses are offered for full college credit and are part of Wesleyan Summer Session.

Writing Intensive = College Readiness

The writing requirement component of the PreCollege curriculum is designed to give precollege students the tools to write articulately, honestly, and sensitively about the self. These college-level writing courses are taught with the intention of developing student writing both broadly and deeply — an ideal skill to develop in preparation for college essays and other advanced writing endeavors. In addition to the course requirement (for which students earn full college credit) the faculty mentor will work with students to develop and strengthen their academic writing skills.

Faculty Mentor Program: Learning beyond the classroom

In addition to our outstanding residential activities, Wesleyan offers the exclusive opportunity for precollege students to be mentored by Wesleyan faculty. A member of Wesleyan’s renowned faculty will meet regularly with students in formal and informal settings, answering questions about academic life and discussing the college admission process, first-year student issues, maximizing their academic potential and advising them on post-baccalaureate options. Activities will include a meal, an academic writing workshop, and college coaching sessions. Mentor relationships build a stronger learning base than classroom teaching alone can achieve. Students will strengthen their friendships within the cohort as they gain invaluable insight into what college holds in store for them, as well as the strategies they will need to succeed.

Social Justice Leadership Certificate

Acclaimed for its proactive stance on issues of justice, diversity, and social progress, Wesleyan is an ideal place for students with interests in these areas to receive firsthand leadership training. Wesleyan’s professional staff have created a four-part discussion-based social justice training program that will introduce students to larger concepts behind equity, inclusion, bystander intervention, and will prepare students to manage interpersonal and social conflict. Upon completion, students will be better prepared for collegiate leadership roles, and have a greater capacity for impact as world citizens. Students who attend all meetings of the training will be awarded a certificate of completion. Please note: this program is included in the Comprehensive Residential Fee; commuting students may participate for an additional fee.

Residential Life

Students will live as a cohort in one of Wesleyan’s spacious Victorian homes, with two Residential Advisors (RAs). RAs plan and implement extracurricular programming, take students on excursions, and provide non-academic advising through scheduled “hall meetings” as well as open-door hours. RA duty coverage and members of the ResLife professional staff are on call 24/7.

Apply!

Email precollege@wesleyan.edu for more information about participating in Wesleyan Summer Session as a high school student and residential scholar.